Glucagon administration system and methods

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments a glucagon administration system can provide a suggested glucagon dosage based on one or more particular parameters (e.g., the user&#39;s recent blood glucose characteristics, a glucagon sensitivity value of the user, and other parameters). In some circumstances, the glucagon administration system can receive information indicative of the user&#39;s blood glucose level and suggest a glucagon dosage that is at least partially dependent upon a previously stored glucagon sensitivity for the user.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for delivery of medicinalfluids, such as infusion pump systems for the delivery of glucagon,insulin, or both, other delivery devices (such as glucagon “pens”), orthe like.

BACKGROUND

Pump devices are commonly used to deliver one or more fluids to atargeted individual. For example, a medical infusion pump device may beused to deliver a medicine to a patient as part of a medical treatment.The medicine that is delivered by the infusion pump device can depend onthe condition of the patient and the desired treatment plan. Forexample, infusion pump devices have been used to deliver insulin intothe subcutaneous tissue and to the vasculature of diabetes patients soas to regulate blood-glucose levels. In some circumstances, the dosageof medicine delivered by the infusion pump can be calculated by theinfusion pump system. In these circumstances, the infusion pump systemcan take into account many variables, including user input, when makingsuch calculations.

Other forms of fluid delivery to a targeted individual are alsopossible. For example, insulin, glucagon, or another medicine can beinjected using a manual syringe or a single use injection “pen.” In somecircumstances, an injectable form of glucagon is used in emergency aidof severe hypoglycemia when the victim is unconscious or for otherreasons cannot take glucose orally. The glucagon fluid can be rapidlyinjected to the patient by intramuscular, intravenous or subcutaneousinjection, and quickly raises the blood glucose level of the patient.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments a glucagon administration system can provide asuggested glucagon dosage based on one or more particular parameters(e.g., the user's recent blood glucose characteristics, food intakedata, an amount of insulin already delivered to the user which has notyet acted on the user, glucagon sensitivity of the user, and the like).In some circumstances, a controller device of the glucagonadministration system can receive information indicative of the user'sblood glucose level and suggest a glucagon dosage that is at leastpartially dependent upon a stored glucagon sensitivity value that ispredetermined for the user. Such a glucagon dosage suggestion featurecan be initiated, for example, by the glucagon administration system inresponse to input of a blood glucose level that is below a target level,or in response to a combination of the blood glucose level, previouslydelivered insulin dosages, and a user's insulin sensitivity value thatpermit the system to predict a pending low glucose event. Accordingly,the suggested glucagon dosage can vary depending on one or more of theseparameters. Such a feature can be helpful to a user when a glucagonadministration device is operated in conjunction with a glucosemonitoring device (or an insulin pump that receives data of bloodglucose levels) because the suggested glucagon dosage can be at leastpartially based on recent data indicative of the user's blood glucoselevel (and, optionally, recent insulin use).

Particular embodiments described herein may include a glucagonadministration system. The system may include a portable pump housingthat receives a medicinal fluid for dispensation to a user. The pumphousing may at least partially contain a pump drive system to dispensethe medicinal fluid through a flow path to the user. The system may alsoinclude a controller that communicates with the pump drive system todispense the medicinal fluid from the portable pump housing. Thecontroller may be configured to activate a glucagon dosage calculatorthat calculates a suggested glucagon dosage value based at least in parton a glucagon sensitivity parameter, which can be, optionally, stored ina computer-readable memory device of the controller.

Some embodiments described herein include a method of operating glucagonadministration system. The method may include receiving, by a controllerof an infusion pump system, glucose information indicative of a bloodglucose level of a user. The method may also include detecting, by thecontroller of an infusion pump system, that the blood glucose level ofthe user is less than a threshold value stored by the controller of theinfusion pump system. The method may further include activating aglucagon dosage calculator configured to determine a suggested glucagondosage according to a function that is at least partially dependent upon(i) a glucagon sensitivity parameter stored by the controller of theinfusion pump system, (ii) the blood glucose level of the user, and(iii) a targeted blood glucose level of the user. The method mayoptionally include displaying on a display screen the suggested glucagondosage, the blood glucose level of the user, and an indication that therate of change in the blood glucose level in increasing or decreasing.

Additional embodiments described herein include a method of determininga suggested glucagon dosage. The method may include storing, at aportable computing system, a parameter value indicative of a glucagonsensitivity of a user. The method may also include receiving, by theportable computing system, glucose information indicative of a bloodglucose level of the user. The method may further include comparing, bythe portable computing system, the blood glucose level of the user tothreshold level to determine that the blood glucose level of the user isbelow the threshold level. The may include calculating a suggestedglucagon dosage for the user using at least the parameter valueindicative of the glucagon sensitivity of the user. Optionally, thiscalculating operation may be in response to determining that the bloodglucose level of the user is below the threshold level. The method mayalso include displaying on a display screen the suggested glucagondosage.

In some embodiments described herein, a medicine administration systemincludes pump device (which may optionally be disposable andnon-reusable) and a removable controller device. The pump device mayinclude a pump housing that defines a space to receive an insulincartridge. The pump device may also include a drive system to dispenseinsulin when the insulin cartridge is received by the pump housing. Thedrive system may include a piston rod that is incrementally movable toapply a dispensing force. The removable controller device may include acontroller housing that is removably attachable to the pump housing in afixed relationship to provide an electrical connection between thecontroller device and the pump device. The removable controller devicemay include control circuitry arranged in the controller housing toelectrically communicate with the drive system in the pump housing.Also, the removable controller device may include a user interfaceconnected to the control circuitry, the user interface including adisplay and one or more user-selectable buttons. The removablecontroller device may further include a wireless communication device toreceive glucose information from a wearable monitoring device. Theglucose information may be indicative of a blood glucose level of theuser. The removable controller device may displays a suggested glucagondosage (which may optionally occur in response to user input to the userinterface). The suggested glucagon dosage may be at least partiallydependent upon a glucose sensitivity value stored by the controllerdevice, a target blood glucose level stored by the controller device,and the blood glucose level of the user.

These and other embodiments described herein may provide one or more ofthe following advantages. First, some embodiments of a glucagonadministration system can implement a glucagon dosage calculator, whichis configured to accurately calculate a suggested glucagon bolus dosagebased upon the user's glucagon sensitivity value (stored by acontroller) and other parameters (e.g., the user's target blood glucoselevel, the users current blood glucose level, the rate of change of theuser's blood glucose level, the user's recent or pending food intake,the user's previously dosed insulin that has not yet acted (aninsulin-on-board value, a total insulin load, value, or the like), theuser's activity level, or a combination thereof). The user's glucagonsensitivity value, which may be a personalized parameter indicative ofthe user's bodily response to glucagon, can be manually input by aclinician or by the user or can be calculated by the controller basedupon the user's historical treatment data.

Second, in some embodiments of the systems described herein, the user'sglucagon sensitivity value can be stored in a computer-readable memoryof the system and accessed by the controller device when the glucagondosage calculator is activated. When the suggested glucagon dosage valueis calculated, the system can display the suggested glucagon dosage tothe user such that the user can make an informed decision regardingglucagon delivery. In some embodiments, the user can readily accept thesuggested glucagon dosage by pressing a single button on the userinterface, which then prompts a glucagon pump device to dispense thedosage to the user via an infusion set or other fluid delivery path tothe user. In alternative embodiments, the user can view the displayedsuggestion for the glucagon dosage value and then manually inject thesuggested dosage using a glucagon injector pen device.

Third, the system may utilize this glucagon bolus calculation feature incombination with a glucose monitoring device that continuously transmitsblood glucose information (e.g., every minute, every two minutes, everyfive minutes, every ten minutes, or the like) to the controller. Theblood glucose information from the glucose monitoring device can be usedby the glucagon administration system to determine the user's recentblood glucose value, the recent rate of change in the user's bloodglucose level, or both. The glucagon calculator feature of the systemcan use such glucose level/rate-of-change parameter to accuratelycalculate a suggested glucagon dosage as described in more detail below.

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth inthe accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedescription and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an infusion pump system in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of an infusion pump assembly inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the infusion pump system of FIG. 2 inwhich the pump assembly is worn on clothing of a user, in accordancewith particular embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an infusion pump system of FIG. 2 inwhich the pump assembly is worn on skin of a user, in accordance withother embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram depicting an exemplary process of determiningand suggesting a glucagon dose for a user.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a medicine administration system 10 can include aninfusion pump system 60 configured to controllably dispense dosages ofglucagon, insulin, or both. For example, the infusion pump system 60 canbe used to deliver glucagon, insulin, or another medicinal fluid forpurposes of regulating the user's blood glucose (BG) levels. In someoptional embodiments, the medicine administration system 10 may includea glucose monitoring device 50 that communicates with a wirelesscommunication device 61 of the infusion pump system 60 so as tosupplying data indicative of a user's blood glucose level to acontroller 62 included in the infusion pump system 60. Alternatively oradditionally, the data indicative of a user's blood glucose level can bemanually input to the controller 62 via a user interface 63 of theinfusion pump system 60. The infusion pump system 60 can utilize thedata indicative of a user's blood glucose level in the calculation of asuggested glucagon dosage, which can be accomplished using a glucagondosage calculator 64 implemented by the controller 62 of the infusionpump system 60.

Briefly, in this embodiment, the infusion pump system 60 is configuredto accurately calculate a suggested glucagon bolus dosage based upon theuser's glucagon sensitivity value (stored by a memory device 65 of thecontroller 62) and other parameters (e.g., the user's target bloodglucose level, the users current blood glucose level, the rate of changeof the user's blood glucose level, the user's recent or pending foodintake, the user's previously dosed insulin that has not yet acted (aninsulin-on-board value, a total insulin load, value, or the like), theuser's activity level, or a combination thereof). The user's glucagonsensitivity value, which may be a personalized parameter indicative ofthe user's bodily response to glucagon, can be manually input by aclinician or by the user or can be calculated by the controller 62 basedupon the user's historical treatment data. When the suggested glucagondosage value is calculated, the suggested glucagon dosage can bedisplayed to the user (e.g., refer to FIG. 2 in one embodiment) suchthat the user can make an informed decision regarding glucagon delivery.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the infusion pump system 60 includes at leastone battery 66 configured to provide electrical power to the controller62. The controller 62 is configured to control the administration ofglucagon or another medication to the user by sending control signals todrive system 67, which includes a battery-powered actuator (such as arotational motor) in this embodiment. For example, the user can inputvia the user interface 63 a dosage level of glucagon to administer fromthe infusion pump system 60. The controller can use the received inputto generate control signals that are transmitted to the drive system 67to cause the battery-powered actuator to activate and thereby urge theselected amount of glucagon from the glucagon reservoir 68, which may bea pre-filled cartridge slidably received within the housing of the pumpsystem 60. In such embodiments, the drive system 67 can advance aplunger into the cartridge 68 so as to dispense glucagon therefrom,which causes the glucagon to be dispensed through tubing 69 of aninfusion set. It should be understood from the description herein that,in some embodiments, the pump system can be configured to receive two ormore medicine cartridges (e.g., the cartridge 68 containing glucagon anda second cartridge (not shown in FIG. 1) for dispensing insulin oranother medication) that are controlled by the drive system 67.Alternatively, in other embodiments, the reservoir 68 can containinsulin that is controllably dispensed by the drive system 67 but theglucagon dosage calculator 64 can still be implemented so that the usercan view the suggested glucagon dosage value and manually apply theglucagon dosage using a separate device of the administration system 10(e.g., a glucagon injector 80).

As described in more detail below, the medicine cartridge 68 can bereceived within a cavity in the infusion pump system 60. In someembodiments, the cartridge 68 is a replaceable cartridge such that, whenthe replaceable cartridge is exhausted, the replaceable cartridge can beremoved from the infusion pump system 60 and replaced with another newpre-filled cartridge. In other embodiments (refer to FIG. 2 below), thecartridge 68 may be non-removably received in the pump system such that,when the glucagon cartridge 68 is exhausted, the portion of the pumpsystem 60 that retains cartridge 68 is discarded along with thecartridge 68 (refer, for example, to FIG. 2). For example, as describedin more detail below, the infusion pump system 60 may optionallycomprise multiple readily detachable portions, with various componentsof the infusion pump 100 residing in different detachable portions. Inone example described in FIG. 2 below, at least the controller 62, theuser interface 63, and the wireless communication device 61 can becontained within a first (reusable) detachable portion while the battery66, the drive system 67, and the glucagon cartridge 68 are containedwithin a second (disposable, single-use) detachable portion.

Still referring to FIG. 1, in some implementations, the controller 62 isconfigured to determine a suggested glucagon dosage for a medicationbased on various parameters associated with the user. As previouslydescribed, the controller 62 can cause the suggested dosage to bedisplayed on the user interface 63 of the infusion pump system 60, or ona display in communication with the infusion pump system 60. In someimplementations, the infusion pump system 60 can include wired orwireless communication capabilities (e.g., via a data cable or via thewireless communication device 61) to allow the controller 62 to transmitthe recommended dosage to another device. For example, the controller 62can calculate a recommended glucagon dosage and use the wirelesscommunication device 61 to transmit (via Bluetooth connectivity oranother short-range wireless connection) the recommended glucagon dosageto a user's mobile phone for display to the user.

In particular embodiments, the controller 62 can be configured todetermine a suggested glucagon dosage to administer to a user tomaintain or return the user's blood glucose level to a targeted valuewithin a predetermined range. For example, the infusion pump system 60can receive information indicative of the user's blood glucose level,either through wireless communication of a blood glucose level of theuser from the glucose monitoring device 50, from a blood glucose meter(e.g., a blood test strip reader) in wireless communication with theinfusion pump system 60, or by receiving manual data input via the userinterface 63 indicating a blood glucose level of the user. If the bloodglucose level is below a predetermined blood glucose threshold level orotherwise below a predetermined safety range for the blood glucoselevel, or if the rate of change of the user's blood glucose levelindicates that the user's blood glucose level will fall below thepredetermined safety range within the near future, the controller 62 canactivate the glucagon dosage calculator 64 so as to determine asuggested glucagon dosage to return the user's blood glucose level tothe desired range.

As described in more detail below, the controller 62 can be configuredto access a number of parameters (some or all of which are stored andupdated in the memory device 65) when determining a suggested glucagondosage. These parameters can include glucagon sensitivity of the user,current blood glucose level of the user, target blood glucose level(s),food intake by the user, previous insulin doses, previous glucagondoses, and activity level of the user. The glucagon sensitivity of theuser can be a patient-specific value or time-of-day dependent series ofvalues, that is indicative how a particular user reacts toadministration of glucagon. In some embodiments, the stored glucagonsensitivity value represents a user-specific value that correlates thenumber of units (e.g., mg or mcg) of glucagon required to alter theuser's blood glucose level by 1 mg/dL, or inversely how many mg/dL ofglucose change will be achieved by a standardized dosage unit ofglucagon. For example, in this embodiment, the stored glucagonsensitivity value represents a user-specific value that correlates thenumber of units (e.g., mg or mcg) of glucagon required to alter theuser's blood glucose level by 1 mg/dL. Food intake data can includeinformation on the amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, or othernutrients recently ingested by the user (or, in some embodiments, soonto be ingested by the user). Information on a user's insulin load can beused in determining a recommended glucagon dosage and can include anestimated value of previously dispensed insulin that has not yet actedin the user's body, such as total insulin load (TIL) information (e.g.,an insulin load calculation that includes previous basal and bolusdosages, previously consumed food, or the like), traditionalinsulin-on-board estimates (which typically account for only bolusdosages), or other such estimated insulin load values. Activity levelcan be a user-specific, time-sensitive value represented by a time baseddecay function that assumes activity has a near term effect ofsignificantly lowering glucose within an hour or less of the activity aswell as a long term effect of lowering glucose to a lesser degree over aperiod of 4 to 8 hours. Such an activity level can be detected by thesensors of the pump system 60 (e.g., a set of accelerometers housedwithin the pump system 60) or manually input via the user interface 63.

Optionally, when the suggested glucagon dosage is calculated by the pumpsystem 60, the controller 62 can display the suggested glucagon dosageto the user along with a prompt for the user to accept or reject thedosage amount for dispensation. For example, the controller 62 can causethe user interface 63 to display the suggested glucagon dosage andprompt the user to accept or reject the recommended dosage. If the useraccepts the recommended dosage, the controller 62 can generate controlsignals to cause the drive system 67 to dispense the suggested dosage ofglucagon from the glucagon cartridge 68.

Alternatively, in some embodiments in which the reservoir 68 isexhausted or contains a medicinal fluid other than glucagon (e.g.,insulin), the controller 62 can still use the glucagon dosage calculator64 provide the suggested glucagon dosage to the user to allow the userto administer the suggested dosage using a separate glucagon injector 80or another glucagon dispensing device external from the pump system 60.For example, the infusion pump system 60 may be an infusion pump fordispensing insulin and the cartridge 68 can contain insulin fordispensing in response to control signals generated by the controller 62for controlling the drive system 67. The controller 62 can execute theglucagon dosage calculator 64 to provide a suggested glucagon dosage tothe user (e.g., by displaying the suggested dosage on a display screenof the user interface 63, or by wirelessly transmitting (via the device61) the suggested glucagon dosage value for display on another device,such as a personal computer, mobile phone, tablet device, or glucagonpump or pen injector device). The user can then manually administer thesuggested glucagon dosage using the glucagon injector 80 (e.g., aglucagon pen or a syringe device) or another glucagon delivery deviceexternal from the infusion pump system 60.

In some implementations, the glucagon dosage calculator 64 isimplemented by a device other than an infusion pump system 60. Forexample, such suggested glucagon dosage determinations can be madeimplemented by a glucagon dosage calculator implemented as acomputer-readable program executed on a smart phone or tablet device, bycontrol circuitry of a blood glucose meter, or by a glucagon dosagesuggestion calculator attached to or configured to interact with aglucagon delivery device such as a glucagon pen injector 80.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an infusion pump system 60 can include a pumpdevice 100 and a removably attachable controller device 200 that areused together for purposes of supplying insulin, glucagon, or anothermedication to a user. In some embodiments, the infusion pump system 60may include a glucose monitoring device 50 that communicates with thecontroller device 200 for the purpose of supplying data indicative of auser's blood glucose level to the controller device 200 of the pumpsystem 60. Similar to the previously described controller 62 (FIG. 1),the controller device 200 in this embodiment can utilize the dataindicative of a user's blood glucose level in the calculation of asuggested glucagon dosage. For example, the controller device 200 candetect when the user's current blood is below a target level or apredetermined safety range. In response thereto, the controller device200 can implement the glucagon dosage calculator (previously described)calculate a suggested glucagon dosage for the user to return the user tothe target blood glucose range. As another example, the controllerdevice 200 can calculate the recent rate of change in the user's bloodglucose level and can use this rate-of-change information as a parameterin the calculation of a suggested glucagon dosage for the user.

In some embodiments, the pump system 60 can be configured to supplyscheduled basal dosages of insulin (or glucagon or another medication)along with user-selected bolus dosages. For example, the pump device 100is configured to receive a preloaded cartridge 120 of a medicinalliquid, such as insulin or glucagon, which is then controllablydispensed to the user.

As previously described, even in the embodiments in which the pumpsystem 60 dispenses insulin from the cartridge 120 (FIG. 2), thecontroller device 200 can still implement the glucagon dosage calculator64 (FIG. 1) so that the user can view the suggested glucagon dosagevalue and manually apply the glucagon dosage using a separate device ofthe administration system (e.g., the glucagon injector 80 or anotherglucagon delivery device). In such embodiments, the insulin basaldelivery rate can be selected to maintain a user's blood glucose levelin a targeted range during normal activity when the user is notconsuming food items. The user-selected bolus deliveries of insulin mayprovide substantially larger amounts of insulin in particularcircumstances, such as when the user consumes food items, when theuser's blood glucose level increases beyond a safe limit, when theuser's blood glucose level rises faster than a threshold rate, or otherscenarios in which the blood glucose level requires a significantcorrection.

In some alternative embodiments, the pump system 60 can be configured tosupply dosages of glucagon to the user. For example, the glucagondosages can be user selected, or administered in response to user inputprompted by a suggested glucagon dosage provided by the pump system 60.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the pump system 60 can be configured toexecute the glucagon dosage calculator 64 (FIG. 1) in any of thesevarious embodiments (in the embodiments in which the pump system 60dispenses insulin from the cartridge 120 (and glucagon from the glucagoninjector 80 or another glucagon delivery device), in embodiments inwhich the pump system 60 dispenses glucagon from the cartridge 120, orother embodiments described herein). For example, a recommendation toadminister glucagon, along with a suggested glucagon dosage amount canbe provided by the pump system 60 when the user's blood glucose leveldecreases beyond a safe limit, when the user's blood glucose level fallsfaster than a threshold rate, or other scenarios in which the bloodglucose level requires a significant correction to avoid projected lowglucose levels. In some embodiments, the pump system 60 may modify asuggested glucagon dosage in response to certain circumstances. Forexample, the pump system 60 may increase a suggested glucagon dosagebased on a rapidly falling blood glucose level, a current blood glucoselevel that is below a threshold limit, a detection of a high level ofphysical activity, or the like.

As described in more detail below, the controller device 200 can suggesta glucagon dosage to the user based, at least in part, on the user's“insulin load.” As described herein, “insulin load” includes anestimated value of previously dispensed insulin that has not yet actedin the user's body, such as total insulin load (TIL) information (e.g.,an insulin load calculation that includes previous basal and bolusdosages, previously consumed food, or the like), traditionalinsulin-on-board estimates (which typically account for only bolusdosages), or other such estimated insulin load values. Due in part topharmacokinetic effects (e.g., the time it takes for insulin to enterthe blood stream from the subcutaneous point of delivery) andpharmacodynamic effects (e.g., the time it takes for a concentration ofinsulin in the blood to have the physiological effect of lower bloodglucose level), basal and bolus insulin dispensed into the user's systemmay not act instantaneously, but instead may act over a period of timeto control the user's blood glucose level. As such, the user's body mayinclude some amount of insulin that has not yet acted even while theinfusion pump system 60 is activated to deliver additional dosages(basal, bolus, or a combination thereof). In these circumstances, theinfusion pump system 60 can be used to determine a user's insulin load,which can provide an estimate of the insulin which was delivered but hasnot yet acted in the user's body. This insulin load information can beused as a parameter in the calculation of the suggested glucagon dosage.

The controller device 200 can also access a glucagon sensitivity valuestored in an internally housed memory device of the controller device200, and the glucagon sensitivity value can serve as a patient-specificparameter for determining a suggested glucagon dosage for the user.Glucagon sensitivity represents a user specific value that correlatesthe number of units of glucagon (e.g., mg or mcg) required to alter theuser's blood glucose level by 1 mg/dL. The glucagon calculator executedby the controller device 200 can use this user-specific value todetermine how much glucagon to administer to the user to reach a targetblood glucose level for the user, when the current blood glucose levelof the user is below the target value.

In some embodiments, the controller device 200 can suggest a glucagondosage to the user in a manner that accounts for the user's food intake,the user's blood glucose information (including the rate of change inthe blood glucose level), previously delivered insulin that has not yetacted on the user, and previously delivered glucagon that has not yetacted on the user. As described in more detail below, this process fordetermining a suggested glucagon dosage can accurately reflect foodintake data entered into the controller device 200 by the user, theuser's recent blood glucose level (e.g., input into the controllerdevice 200 by the user, transmitted to the controller device 200 fromthe blood glucose monitoring device 50, transmitted from an externalblood glucose meter, or the like), the recent rate of change in theuser's blood glucose level, and the user's insulin load. For example, auser can enter information indicative of a user activity (e.g., a 6 milerun that will start in 15 minutes, a 6 mile run that started 50 minutesago, or the like) into the controller device 200, and use the enteredinformation in determining a suggested glucagon dosage for returning theuser's blood glucose level to a desired value. The user can benefit froma glucagon dosage determination system that also takes into accountother parameters so that a more accurate glucagon dosage can besuggested. For example, the controller device 200 can be configured toprovide a more accurate glucagon dosage suggestion by accounting for theuser's blood glucose level, the rate of change in the user's bloodglucose level, and/or the user's glucagon sensitivity.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the glucose monitoring device 50 can includea housing 52, a wireless communication device 54, and a sensor element56. The wireless communication device 54 can be contained within thehousing 52 and the sensor shaft 56 can extend outward from the housing52. In use, the sensor element 56 can penetrate the skin 20 of a user tomake measurements indicative of characteristics of the user's blood(e.g., the user's blood glucose level or the like). In response to themeasurements made by the sensor element 56, the glucose monitoringdevice 50 can employ the wireless communication device 54 to transmitdata to the controller device 200 of the pump assembly 60.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the pump device 100 includes a housingstructure 110 that defines a cavity 116 in which a fluid cartridge 120can be received. The pump device 100 also includes a cap device 130 toretain the fluid cartridge 120 in the cavity 116 of the housingstructure 110. The pump device 100 includes a drive system (not shown inFIG. 2) that advances a plunger 125 in the fluid cartridge 120 so as todispense fluid therefrom. In this embodiment, the drive system housedwithin the pump device 100 can include a battery-powered actuator, suchas a rotational motor (not shown in FIG. 2), that acts upon a gearsystem to cause incremental adjustment of a ratchet mechanism toincrementally advance a piston rod engaged with the plunger 125. In someembodiments, the dispensed fluid exits the fluid cartridge 120, passesthrough a flexible tube 72 (FIG. 3) of an infusion set 70. The dispensedfluid can enter through the skin via a cannula of the infusion set 70.

In some embodiments, the controller device 200 communicates with thepump device 100 to control the operation of the pump drive system. Whenthe controller device 200, the pump device 100 (including the cap device130 in this embodiment), and the fluid cartridge 120 are assembledtogether, the user may conveniently wear the infusion pump system 60 onthe user's skin under clothing or in the user's pocket while receivingthe fluid dispensed from the pump device 100 (refer, for example, toFIGS. 3-4). Thus, in some embodiments, the pump assembly can operate asa portable unit that provides reliable delivery of insulin, glucagon, oranother medication in a discrete manner.

The controller device 200 may be configured as a reusable component thatprovides electronics and a user interface 220 to control the operationof the pump device 100. In such circumstances, the pump device 100 canbe a disposable component that configured and constructed to bediscarded after a single use. For example, the pump device 100 can be a“one time use” component that is thrown away after the fluid cartridge120 therein is exhausted. Thereafter, the user can removably attach anew pump device 100 to the reusable controller device 200 for thedispensation of fluid from a new fluid cartridge 120. Accordingly, theuser is permitted to reuse the controller device 200 (which may includecomplex or valuable electronics) while disposing of the relativelylow-cost pump device 100 after each use. Such a pump system 60 canprovide enhanced user safety as a new pump device 100 (and drive systemtherein) is employed with each new fluid cartridge 120.

Briefly, in use, the pump device 100 can be configured to removablyattach to the controller device 200 in a manner that provides a securefitting, an overall compact size, and a reliable electrical connection.The compact size permits the infusion pump system 60 to be discrete andportable. The controller device 200 of the infusion pump system can beused to provide glucose alarms indicative of high and low blood glucoselevels (when compared to predetermined high and low blood glucose alarmlevels, respectively), to provide glucose alarms indicative of rapidlyincreasing or decreasing blood glucose levels, and to modifypredetermined high and low blood glucose alarm levels based on the rateat which a user's blood glucose level is changing.

It should be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the pumpdevice 100 and the controller device 200 can be configured as a singlehousing unit in which the control components and the pump drive systemare arranged in a single housing. In these alternative embodiments, thepump assembly (including the controller device and the pump device) mayhave a different size and shape and may operate as a reusable unit thatcan communicate with a number of monitoring devices (such as a bloodglucose level monitoring device) over a period of time.

Still referring to FIGS. 2-4, the fluid cartridge 120 may contain amedicine 126 to be infused into the tissue or vasculature of a targetedindividual, such as a human or animal patient. For example, the pumpdevice 100 can be adapted to receive a medicine cartridge 120 in theform of a carpule that is preloaded with insulin, glucagon, or anothermedicine for use in the treatment of Diabetes (e.g., Byetta®, Symlin®,or others). Such a cartridge 120 may be supplied, for example, by EliLilly and Co. of Indianapolis, Ind. In some circumstances, the user mayreceive a scheduled, substantially continuous, basal rate of medicinefrom the fluid cartridge 120. In addition, or in the alternative, theuser may receive intermittent, relatively larger, bolus dosages ofmedicine based on certain information. For example, the infusion pumpsystem 60 can be used to supply a bolus dosage of insulin based on oneor more meals recently entered into the controller device 200,previously received insulin, information specific to the user (e.g.,insulin sensitivity), activity level, and information derived from dataindicative of the user's blood glucose level. It should be understoodfrom the description herein that the fluid cartridge 120 may have aconfiguration other than that depicted in FIG. 2. For example, the fluidcartridge may have a different outer shape or a different reservoirvolume. In another example, the fluid cartridge may comprise a reservoirthat is integral with the pump housing structure 110 (e.g., the fluidcartridge can be defined by one or more walls of the pump housingstructure 110 that surround a plunger to define a reservoir in which themedicine is injected or otherwise received).

In some embodiments, the pump device 100 may include one or morestructures that interfere with the removal of the medicine cartridge 120after the medicine cartridge 120 is inserted into the cavity 116. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, the pump housing structure 110 may includeone or more structures 119 that at least partially extend into thecavity 116 to engage a portion of the medicine cartridge 120 when themedicine cartridge 120 is installed therein. In this embodiment, thepump housing structure 110 includes a penetration barb 119 extendingfrom to the piston rod of the pump device 110 so as to penetrate andfixed to the plunger 125 of the cartridge 120. After the medicinecartridge is inserted to a particular depth, the barb structure 119irreversibly engages into the plunger 125 so that the medicine cartridge120 remains inside the cavity 116. This engagement with the barb 119 andthe plunger 125 hinders any attempts to remove the medicine cartridge120 away from the pump device 100. Alternative embodiments can includeother features and/or configurations to hinder the removal of themedicine cartridge 120.

Embodiments of the pump device 100 that hinder the removal of themedicine cartridge 120 may facilitate the “one-time-use” feature of thepump device 100. Because the barb structure 119 can interfere withattempts to remove the medicine cartridge 120 from the pump device 100,the pump device 100 will be discarded along with the medicine cartridge120 after the medicine cartridge 120 is emptied, expired, or otherwiseexhausted. The barb structure 119 may serve to hinder attempts to removethe exhausted medicine cartridge 120 and to insert a new medicinecartridge 120 into the previously used pump device 100. Accordingly, thepump device 100 may operate in a tamper-resistant and safe mannerbecause the pump device 100 can be designed with predetermined lifeexpectancy (e.g., the “one-time-use” feature in which the pump device isdiscarded after the medicine cartridge 120 is emptied, expired, orotherwise exhausted).

Still referring to FIG. 2, the cap device 130 can be joined with thepump device 100 after the medicine cartridge is at least partiallyinserted in the cavity 116. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the cap device 130may include an output port 139 (FIG. 2) that connects with the tubing 72(FIG. 3) for dispensation of the medicine to the user. The output port139 can be configured to mate with, or can be preassembled togetherwith, the tubing 72 of the infusion set 70 (FIG. 3).

In some embodiments, the controller device 200 may be removably attachedto the pump device 100 so that the two components are mechanicallymounted to one another in a fixed relationship. Such a mechanicalmounting can form an electrical connection between the removablecontroller device 200 and the pump device 100. For example, thecontroller device 200 may be in electrical communication with a portionof a drive system (described in connection with FIG. 10) of the pumpdevice 100. As described in more detail below, the pump device 100includes a drive system that causes controlled dispensation of themedicine or other fluid from the cartridge 120. In some embodiments, thedrive system incrementally advances a piston rod longitudinally into thecartridge 120 so that the fluid is forced out of an output end 122. Theseptum 121 at the output end 122 of the fluid cartridge 120 can bepierced to permit fluid outflow when the cap device 130 is connected tothe pump housing structure 110. Thus, when the pump device 100 and thecontroller device 200 are attached and thereby electrically connected,the controller device 200 communicates electronic control signals via ahardwire-connection (e.g., electrical contacts or the like) to the drivesystem or other components of the pump device 100. In response to theelectrical control signals from the controller device 200, the drivesystem of the pump device 100 causes medicine to incrementally dispensefrom the medicine cartridge 120.

The controller device 200 may be configured to removably attach to thepump device 100, for example, in a side-by-side arrangement. The compactsize permits the infusion pump system 60 to be discrete and portablewhen the pump device 100 is attached with the controller device 200 (asshown in FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the controller device 200 includesa controller housing structure 210 having a number of features that areconfigured to mate with complementary features of the pump housingstructure 110 so as to form a releasable mechanical connection. Forexample, the pump device 100 can include a channel 112 defined along theexterior of the housing 110 and a latch 114. The channel 112 canslidably mate with a corresponding rail structure (not shown in FIG. 2)along the housing 210 of the controller device 200. Also, the latch 114can releasably lock with a corresponding tooth (not shown in FIG. 2) ofthe controller device 200. Such mating features of the pump housingstructure 110 and the controller housing structure 210 can provide asecure, releasable connection when the controller device 200 is attachedto the pump device 100

As shown in FIG. 2, the pump device 100 may include an electricalconnector 118 (e.g., having conductive pads, pins, or the like) that areexposed to the controller device 200 and that mate with a complementaryelectrical connector on the adjacent face of the controller device 200.The electrical connectors provide the electrical communication betweenthe control circuitry (refer, for example, to FIG. 9) housed in thecontroller device 200 and at least a portion of the drive system orother components of the pump device 100. In some exemplary embodiments,the electrical connectors 118 and 218 permit the transmission ofelectrical control signals to the pump device 100 and the reception offeedback signals (e.g., sensor signals) from particular componentswithin the pump device 100. Furthermore, as described in more detailbelow, the infusion pump system 60 may include a gasket that provides aseal which is resistant to migration of external contaminants when thepump device 100 is attached to the controller device 200. Thus, in someembodiments, the pump device 100 and the controller device 200 can beassembled into a water resistant configuration that protects theelectrical interconnection from water migration (e.g., if the userencounters water while carrying the pump system 60).

The controller device 200 includes the user interface 220 that permits auser to monitor the operation of the pump device 100. In someembodiments, the user interface 220 includes a display 222 and one ormore user-selectable buttons (e.g., four buttons 224 in thisembodiment). In addition to (or as an alternative to) the buttons 224,the display 222 of the user interface 220 can be equipped with atouchscreen configured to receive user input. The display 222 mayinclude an active area in which numerals, text, symbols, images, or acombination thereof can be displayed. For example, the display 222 maybe used to communicate a number of status indicators, alarms, settings,and/or menu options for the pump system 60. In some embodiments, thedisplay 222 can inform the user of the amount of a suggested glucagondosage, the user's blood glucose level, an indication that the user'sblood glucose level is rising or falling, an indication that the user'sblood glucose level is below a target level or range, an indication thatthe glucagon dosage suggestion includes a correction for the rate ofchange in the user's blood glucose level, and the like. In the exampledepicted in FIG. 2, the display 222 indicates a suggested glucagonamount of 0.8 mg. The display 222 also indicates that the user canaccept the suggested glucagon amount by activating the left button 224or decline it by activating the right button 224.

In some embodiments, the user may press one or more of the buttons 224to shuffle through a number of menus or program screens that showparticular status indicators, settings, and/or data (e.g., review datathat shows the medicine dispensing rate, the amount of medicinedelivered during the last bolus, the delivery time of the last bolus,the total amount of medicine dispensed in a given time period, theamount of medicine scheduled to be dispensed at a particular time ordate, the approximate amount of medicine remaining in the cartridge 120,or the like). In some embodiments, the user can adjust the settings orotherwise program the controller device 200 by pressing one or morebuttons 224 of the user interface 220. For example, in embodiments ofthe pump system 60 configured to dispense glucagon, the user may pressone or more of the buttons 224 to change the dispensation rate ofglucagon or to request that a bolus of glucagon be dispensed immediatelyor at a scheduled, later time. In another example, the user may use thebuttons 224 to manually input information such as the user's currentblood glucose level (e.g., as measured by an external blood glucosemeter), the current rate of change in the user's blood glucose level, orthe like into the pump system 60.

The display 222 of the user interface 220 may be configured to displayinformation when no buttons 224 have been pressed. For example, as shownin FIG. 2, the active area of the display 222 can display a suggestedglucagon dosage calculated by the controller device 200 and anindication that the glucagon dosage suggested includes a blood glucoserate of change correction. The display 222 can also display the user'sblood glucose level (50 mg/dl in this example) and an indication ofwhether the user's blood glucose level is rising or falling (thedownward facing arrow indicates a falling glucose level in thisexample). In addition to this information, the user interface may promptthe user to accept or decline the glucagon dosage suggestion (e.g., bypressing the left button 224 or the right button 224, respectively) orto enter a modified glucagon dosage amount. This information can bedisplayed until one of the buttons 224 has been actuated. This, orother, information can also be displayed for a period of time after nobutton 224 has been actuated (e.g., five seconds, 10 seconds, 30seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or the like). Thereafter, the display 222may enter sleep mode in which the active area is blank, therebyconserving battery power. In addition or in the alternative, the activearea can display particular device settings, such as the currentdispensation rate or the total medicine dispensed, for a period of timeafter no button 224 has been actuated (e.g., five seconds, 10 seconds,30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or the like). Again, thereafter thedisplay 222 may enter sleep mode to conserve battery power. In certainembodiments, the display 222 can dim after a first period of time inwhich no button 224 has been actuated (e.g., after 15 seconds or thelike), and then the display 222 can enter sleep mode and become blankafter a second period of time in which no button 224 has been actuated(e.g., after 30 seconds or the like). Thus, the dimming of the displaydevice 222 can alert a user viewing the display device 222 when theactive area of the display device will soon become blank.

Accordingly, when the controller device 200 is connected to the pumpdevice 100, the user is provided with the opportunity to readily monitorinfusion pump operation by simply viewing the display 222 of thecontroller device 200. Such monitoring capabilities may provide comfortto a user who may have urgent questions about the current operation ofthe pump device 100 (e.g., the user may be unable to receive immediateanswers if wearing an infusion pump device having no user interfaceattached thereto). Moreover, information related to the last deliveredbolus can be displayed contemporaneously with the detected blood glucosevalue and an indication of whether the user's blood glucose level isrising or falling, so the user is provided with the opportunity to makeinformed decisions regarding the current and future status of his or herblood glucose level.

Also, in some embodiments described herein, there may be no need for theuser to carry and operate a separate module to monitor the operation ofthe infusion pump device 100, thereby simplifying the monitoring processand reducing the number of devices that must be carried by the user. Ifa need arises in which the user desires to monitor the operation of thepump device 100 or to adjust settings of the pump system 10 (e.g., torequest a bolus amount of medicine), the user can readily operate theuser interface 220 of the controller device 200 without the requirementof locating and operating a separate monitoring module.

In other embodiments, the user interface 200 is not limited to thedisplay and buttons depicted in FIG. 2. For example, in someembodiments, the user interface 220 may include only one button or mayinclude a greater numbers of buttons, such as two buttons, threebuttons, four buttons, more than four buttons, a full QWERTY keyboard,or the like. In another example, the user interface 220 of thecontroller device 200 may include a touch-sensitive screen so that auser may select buttons defined by the active area of the touch screendisplay. Alternatively, the user interface 220 may comprise audio inputsor outputs so that a user can monitor (e.g., through audio coming fromthe user interface 220) and/or modify (e.g., through voice commands) theoperation of the pump device 100.

Referring to FIGS. 3-4, an infusion pump system 10 that includes thepump system 60 of FIG. 2 may be configured to be portable and can bewearable and concealable. For example, a user can conveniently wear theinfusion pump system 60 on the user's skin (e.g., skin adhesive)underneath the user's clothing or carry the pump system 60 in the user'spocket (or other portable location) while receiving the medicinedispensed from the pump device 100. The pump device 100 may be arrangedin a compact manner so that the pump device 100 has a reduced length.For example, in the circumstances in which the medicine cartridge 120has a length of about 7 cm or less, and about 5 cm to about 7 cm in thisembodiment, the overall length of the pump housing structure 110 (whichcontains medicine cartridge and the drive system) can be about 10 cm orless, and about 6 cm to about 9 cm in this embodiment. In suchcircumstances, the controller device 200 can be figured to mate with thepump housing 110 so that, when removably attached to one another, thecomponents define a portable infusion pump system that stores arelatively large quantity of medicine compared to the overall size ofthe unit. For example, in this embodiment, the infusion pump system 60(including the removable controller device 200 attached to the pumpdevice 100 having the cap 130) may have an overall length of about 11 cmor less, and about 7 cm to about 10 cm in this embodiment; an overallheight of about 6 cm or less, and about 2 cm to about 5 cm in thisembodiment; and an overall thickness of about 20 mm or less, and about 8mm to about 20 mm in this embodiment.

The pump system 10 is shown in FIGS. 3-4 is compact so that the user canwear the portable infusion pump system 10 (e.g., in the user's pocket,connected to a belt clip, adhered to the user's skin, or the like)without the need for carrying and operating a separate module. In suchembodiments, the cap device 130 of the pump device 100 may be configuredto mate with the infusion set 70. In general, the infusion set 70 istubing system that connects the infusion pump system 10 to the tissue orvasculature of the user (e.g., to deliver medicine into the user'ssubcutaneous tissue or vasculature). The infusion set 70 may include theflexible tube 72 that extends from the pump device 100 to a subcutaneouscannula retained by a skin adhesive patch that secures the subcutaneouscannula to the infusion site.

Referring to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the infusion pump system 60 ispocket-sized so that the pump device 100 and controller device 200 canbe worn in the user's pocket 6 or in another portion of the user'sclothing. For example, the pump device 100 and the controller device 200can be attached together and form the assembly 60 that comfortably fitsinto a user's pocket 6. The user can carry the portable infusion pumpsystem 60 and use the tube 72 of the infusion set 70 to direct thedispensed medicine to the desired infusion site. In some circumstances,the user may desire to wear the pump system 60 in a more discretemanner. Accordingly, the user may pass the tube 72 from the pocket 6,under the user's clothing, and to the infusion site. As such, the pumpsystem 10 can be used to deliver medicine to the tissues or vasculatureof the user in a portable, concealable, and discrete manner.Furthermore, a monitoring device 50 (such as a blood glucose monitoringdevice) can be worn on the user's skin while the pump system 60 iscarried by the user (e.g., in a pocket). As such, the monitoring device50 can communicate information indicative of the user's blood glucoselevel to the pump system 60 while the pump system 60 is used to delivermedicine through the infusion set 70. In this embodiment, the monitoringdevice 50 may be arranged on the user's skin at a location that isspaced apart from the infusion set 70.

Referring to FIG. 4, in other embodiments, the infusion pump system 60may be configured to adhere to the user's skin 7 directly at thelocation in which the skin is penetrated for medicine infusion. Forexample, a rear surface of the pump device 100 may include a skinadhesive patch so that the pump device 100 is physically adhered to theskin of the user at a particular location. In these embodiments, the capdevice 130 may have a configuration in which medicine passes directlyfrom the cap device 130 into an infusion cannula 76 that is penetratedinto the user's skin. In one example, the fluid output port 139 throughthe cap device 130 can include a curve or a 90° corner so that themedicine flow path extends longitudinally out of the medicine cartridgeand thereafter laterally toward the patient's skin 7. Again, if the userdesires to monitor the operation of the pump device 100 or to adjust thesettings of the infusion pump system 10, the user can readily access theuser interface 220 of the controller device 200 without the need forcarrying and operating a second, separate device. For example, the usermay look toward the pump device 100 to view the user interface 220 ofthe controller device 200 that is removably attached thereto. In anotherexample, the user can temporarily detach the controller device 200(while the pump device 100 remains adhered to the skin 7) so as to viewand interact with the user interface 220. Furthermore, the monitoringdevice 50 can be worn on the user's skin while the pump system 60 isworn on the user's skin in a different location from that where themonitoring device is worn. As such, the monitoring device 50 cancommunicate information indicative of the user's blood glucose level tothe pump system 60 while the pump system 60 is used to deliver medicinethrough the infusion set 70. In this embodiment, the monitoring device50 may be arranged on the user's skin at a location that is spaced apartfrom the infusion set 70.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an illustrative process 500 for determining asuggested glucagon dosage (and optionally administering that suggestedglucagon dosage), can include a number of operations performed by thecontroller device 200 of the infusion pump system 60 (or by thecontroller 62 described in connection with FIG. 1). The process 500 canalso be performed by one or more other devices other than the controllerdevice 200 or the infusion pump system 60. For example, some or all ofthe operations included in the process 500 can be performed by a mobilephone, a tablet device, a personal computer, control circuitry includedas part of a blood glucose monitor, or control circuitry attached to orin communication with a glucagon injector pen.

In operation 505, the controller device 200 can receive data indicativeof a user's glucagon sensitivity. For example, the user can use controls224 of the controller device 200 to enter the user's glucagonsensitivity value into the controller device 200. In some circumstances,the user's glucagon sensitivity value can be a clinically determinedvalue (determined at a clinic or determined based upon the user'sprevious dosage history data), which is manually input to the controllerdevice via the user interface 220 and stored in a memory device of thecontroller device 200. As another example, the controller device 200 canreceive an indication of the user's glucagon sensitivity via a wired orwireless connection with a remote device, such as a mobile phone ortablet device. As yet another example, a user can enter a glucagonsensitivity value into a device (such as a mobile phone) using a touchscreen of the device.

In operation 510, the controller device 200 can receive data indicativeof a user's blood glucose level for a recent period of time, including amost recent blood glucose measurement. For example, the controllerdevice 200 can retrieve 1 to 3 blood glucose level values, representingthe information for the 1 to 3 most recent blood measurements, frommemory. In another example, the controller device 200 can retrieve oneor more recent blood glucose levels stored in memory and can initiate acurrent blood glucose measurement (e.g., by receiving information fromthe glucose monitoring device 50, by instructing the user to perform ablood glucose measurement and input the data into the controller device200, by inserting a glucose test strip containing a blood sample into astrip reader device that communicates with the controller device 200, orthe like). In yet another example, the controller device 200 canretrieve blood glucose information for a period of time (e.g., less thanone hour, less than 30 minutes, about 2 minutes to about 20 minutes, andabout 5 minutes to about 15 minutes) for use in the calculation of theblood glucose correction component.

In some embodiments, additional information can be received. Forexample, the controller device 200 can receive food on board (FOB) dataand insulin load data. FOB is a measurement of food previously consumedby a user. In one embodiment, FOB is a measurement of food that has beenconsumed by a user, but not yet converted into glucose usable by thebody for metabolism. The insulin load data can be in the form ofinsulin-on-board (IOB) or total insulin load (TIL), as previouslydescribed. In some embodiments, additional information that can bereceived by the controller device 200 can include an indication ofglucagon on board (GOB). For example, the controller device 200 canaccess memory to identify a previous amount of glucagon administered toa patient, as well as a time duration since the glucagon wasadministered. As another example, a glucagon administration device (suchas a glucagon pen) can provide GOB information (e.g., through a wirelessor wired communication link) to the controller device 200. The GOBinformation can include one or more dosage amounts of glucagon, timesince the glucagon was administered, and/or time at which the glucagonwas administered.

In various embodiments, the controller device 200 may use the FOB and/orinsulin load information in combination with blood glucose levelinformation and glucagon sensitivity value for the user to calculate asuggested glucagon dosage amount. In various embodiments, individualparameters such as sensitivity to insulin, sensitivity to glucagon,sensitivity to carbohydrates or other endocrine information may allowthe pump to improve the accuracy of suggested glucagon dosages.

An onboard assistance system may include a processing method, forexample, which incorporates carbohydrate, protein, and fat values todetermine a value for food on board (“FOB”) for the user. The FOBcalculation might correspond to the equivalent amount of carbohydratefor each of the protein and fat intakes. As such, the pump user mayrequest a task, and be given further assistance by the onboardassistance system to carry out the task with accuracy.

The onboard assistance program may include a monitoring method thatincorporates previously entered data and treatment information todetermine a value for IOB for the user. In general, an IOB feature in apump calculates the decay of insulin in the body after a bolus ofinsulin is given to a pump user. The infusion pump system may recognizecurrent dosage levels that a user is receiving and further, can measurethe dosage to determine future infusion dosages or rates. The pump usercan input several variables that the pump system can utilize torecommend one or more treatments (such as, for example, administrationof a dosage of glucagon). Advantageously, using an infusion pump havingmanual and autonomous control properties may allow an accurate estimateof a particular bolus rate or amount.

Other information that can be received by the controller device 200 (oranother device performing some or all of the operations of the process500) include of total insulin load (TIL) for the user and an activitylevel for the user. A TIL value can correspond to an insulin loadcalculation that includes previous basal and bolus dosages of insulin,previously consumed food, previously administered glucagon, or the like.Activity level can be a user specific, time sensitive function thatincludes quantified activity levels represented by a time based decayfunction that assumes activity has a near term effect of significantlylowering glucose during a short term period, as well as a long termeffect of lowering glucose to a lesser degree for an extended timeperiod. For example, the decay function can be based on an assumptionthat a given activity would have a near term effect of significantlylowering blood glucose of a user within an hour or less of the activityas well as a long term effect of lowering blood glucose of the user to alesser degree over a period of 4 to 8 hours.

In some embodiments, the process 500 can include calculating the bloodglucose rate of change for the most recent time. For example, thecontroller device 200 can subtract the blood glucose level correspondingto a previous measurement from the most recent measurement and dividethis value by the change in time between the two measurements. Inanother example, three or more recent blood glucose measurements can beused to provide a broader range of data points for the calculatedrate-of-change parameter (e.g., in an effort to reduce the effect of anynoise in the signal from the glucose monitoring device 50) or to alsoproduce the acceleration of the glucose. In another example, thecontroller device 200 can estimate the instantaneous blood glucose rateof change at a time (e.g., the most current measurement) from a bloodglucose curve.

After receiving data indicative of one or more parameters associatedwith the user, the process 500 can execute operation 515 of identifyinga target blood glucose level for the user. The target blood glucoselevel can be a value (e.g., 90 mg/dL) or a value range (e.g., 80 to 100mg/dL) and the target may vary over the course of the day or day of theweek or month. In some implementations, the target blood glucose levelcan be identified, based in part on a weight or age of the user or otheruser condition such as pregnancy or hypoglycemia unawareness. The targetblood glucose level can be stored in a memory accessible by thecontroller device 200. The controller device 200 can access the memoryto identify the target blood glucose level for the user.

The controller device 200 can compare the identified target bloodglucose level for the user and information indicative of the user'scurrent blood glucose level to determine that the user's blood glucoselevel is below the target level.

At operation 520, the process 500 can determine a suggested glucagondose for the user to achieve the identified target blood glucose level.In some embodiments, the operation 520 can be performed in response to adetermination that the user's blood glucose level is below the targetlevel. The suggested glucagon dose can be displayed to the user to causethe user to administer glucagon to achieve a blood glucose level that isproximate to the target level (or is within the target level range). Ifthe target blood glucose level is a range, the suggested glucagon dosecan be determined to cause the user's blood glucose level to reach thebottom value of the range, to reach a mid-point value of the range, orto reach another specified value within the range (for example, asuggested glucagon dose can be calculated to cause the user's bloodglucose level to at least exceed a value that is 5 mg/dL greater thanthe bottom of the target blood glucose range). The controller device 200can use various parameters associated with the user to determine thesuggested glucagon dose for the user. For example, the controller device200 can use the user's current blood glucose level, the target bloodglucose level, and the user's glucagon sensitivity value to determine asuggested glucagon dose according to the following formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG)/Glucagon Sensitivity

Stepping through the above equation, if, for example, the user's currentBG level is 50 mg/dL, the user's target BG level is 90 mg/dL, and theuser's glucagon sensitivity is 20 mg/dL/Unit of Glucagon, then the aboveequation would be solved as:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(90−50)/20=40/20=2 Units of Glucagon

Depending upon the concentration of the glucagon fluid, a “Unit” ofglucagon correlates to a particular number of milligrams (mg) ormicrograms (mcg) of Glucagon. For example, in this embodiment, a “Unit”of glucagon correlates to 0.4 mg of glucagon, so the suggested glucagondose of 2 Units of glucagon would be 0.8 mg of glucagon (refer to thescreen display in FIG. 2).

In some embodiments, rather than a current BG level for the user, aprojected BG level for the user can be identified based on a determinedBG level rate of change for the user and a previously identified BGlevel for the user. The controller device 200 can then use the projectedBG level to determine a suggested glucagon dose according to thefollowing formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Projected BG)/Glucagon Sensitivity

As described above, additional parameters can also be used whendetermining a suggested glucagon dosage to achieve a target BG level forthe user. For example Insulin on Board (IOB) or Total Insulin Load (TIL)values can be used in combination with an insulin sensitivity for theuser when determining a suggested glucagon dose. For example, IOB can beused to determine a suggested glucagon dose for the user according tothe formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG−(IOB/InsulinSensitivity))/Glucagon Sensitivity

Similarly, TIL can be used to determine a suggested glucagon dose forthe user according to the formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG−(TIL/InsulinSensitivity))/Glucagon Sensitivity

Another factor that can be considered when determining the suggestedglucagon dose is a recent activity of the user. The effect of anactivity on a user can be quantified as an activity level divided by anactivity sensitivity for the user (where the activity sensitivitydefines how the user's BG level changes in response to activity).Activity level can be used to determine a suggested glucagon dose forthe user according to the formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG−(Activity Level/ActivitySensitivity))/Glucagon Sensitivity

Yet another parameter that can be taken into consideration whendetermining the suggested glucagon dose for the user is Food on Board(FOB). For example, the FOB value can indicate a number of grams ofcarbohydrates ingested by the user. This value can be utilized alongwith a “carb ratio” for the user (i.e., a ratio indicating effect ofcarbohydrates on the BG level of the user). FOB can be a time sensitivefunction where food action is assumed to decay over a period of timefrom the time of ingestion. Food action may vary based on the content ofthe food, with protean and fat components having a longer time functionin comparison to high glycemic index carbohydrates, which have a veryshort time function and low glycemic index carbohydrates, which have amoderate time function. FOB can be used to determine a suggestedglucagon dose for the user according to the formula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG+(FOB/Carb Ratio))/GlucagonSensitivity

Another parameter that can be taken into consideration when calculatinga suggested glucagon dose is glucagon on board (GOB). The GOB value canbe, for example, received from a glucagon administration device, or beentered into a suggested glucagon dose calculator manually by a user.The GOB can be, for example, a measure of the amount of glucagon in auser's system that has not yet been processed. GOB can be used todetermine a suggested glucagon dose for the user according to theformula:Suggested Glucagon Dose=(Target BG−Current BG)/Glucagon Sensitivity−GOB

It should be understood from the teachings herein that, in someembodiments, any combination of the aforementioned parameters can betaken into consideration by the glucagon dosage calculator whencalculating a suggested glucagon dose. For example, in particularembodiments, all of these aforementioned parameters can be taken intoaccount when calculating a suggested glucagon dose:Suggested Glucagon Dose=[Target BG−Current BG−(IOB/InsulinSensitivity)−(Activity Level/Activity Sensitivity)+(FOB/CarbRatio)]/Glucagon Sensitivity−GOB

-   -   (Note that TIL can be implemented instead of JOB.)

Other combinations of the above discussed parameters can be used whendetermining a suggested glucagon dose for the user. Additionalparameters could also be used in determining a suggested blood glucagondose for the user.

Still referring to the embodiment in FIG. 5, after determining thesuggested glucagon dose for the user, the process 500 can executeoperation 525 and present the suggested glucagon dose to the user. Forexample, the suggested glucagon dose can be displayed on the userinterface 220 of the infusion pump system 60. As another example, voicesynthesis circuitry of an infusion pump assembly in combination with oneor more speakers can be used to audibly indicate the suggested bloodglucagon dose to the user. As yet another example, the suggested bloodglucagon dose can be displayed on the display screen of a mobile phone,computer, blood glucose monitor, or a tablet device. The suggestedglucagon dose could also be displayed on a display screen attached to orin communication with a glucagon pen or other glucagon delivery device.

In some embodiments, the suggested glucagon dose is transmitted from afirst device to a second device for presentation to the user. Forexample, the operations 405-420 can be performed by the controllerdevice 200 of the infusion pump system 60. The suggested glucagon dosecan then be transmitted to the user's mobile phone for presentation tothe user (e.g., through a Bluetooth connection, or via an SMS message).As another example, the suggested glucagon dose can be determined bycircuitry included as part of a blood glucose monitor and transmitted toa user's tablet device for presentation to the user.

The process 500 can execute an optional operation 530 by receiving userinput indicating acceptance of the suggested glucagon dose. For example,the suggested glucagon dose can be displayed on the user interface 220of the controller device 200. The user can use the buttons 224 to acceptor decline the suggested glucagon dose. As another example, voicerecognition capability of the controller device 200 can be used to allowthe user to verbally accept the suggested glucagon dosage. In someembodiments, the user can manually modify the suggested glucagon dosage.

The process 500 can further execute an optional operation 535 byadministering a suggested glucagon dose to the user. For example, thecontroller device 200 can, in response to receiving an acceptance of thesuggested glucagon dose, send control signals to the disposable pumpdevice 100 to cause the disposable pump device 100 to administer thesuggested glucagon dose to the user. As another example, the suggestedglucagon dose can be presented to the user on the user's mobile phone.The user can then accept the suggested glucagon dose, and an indicationof the suggested glucagon dose can be transmitted to a glucagon deliverydevice (such as an infusion pump) to cause the glucagon delivery deviceto administer the suggested glucagon dose to the user. In someembodiments, the user can manually administer the suggested glucagondose using a syringe, glucagon pen, or other glucagon delivery device.For example, the user can use a mobile application installed on theuser's mobile phone to determine a suggested glucagon dose. Theapplication can display the suggested glucagon dose to the user on adisplay screen of the mobile phone. The user can then use a glucagon pento administer the suggested glucagon dose.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medicine administration system, comprising: adisposable and non-reusable pump device including: a pump housing thatdefines a space to receive an insulin cartridge; and a drive system todispense insulin when the insulin cartridge is received by the pumphousing, the drive system including a piston rod that is incrementallymovable to apply a dispensing force; a removable controller deviceincluding: a controller housing that is removably attachable to the pumphousing in a fixed relationship to provide an electrical connectionbetween the controller device and the pump device; control circuitryarranged in the controller housing to electrically communicate with thedrive system in the pump housing; a user interface connected to thecontrol circuitry, the user interface including a display and one ormore user-selectable buttons; and a wireless communication device toreceive glucose information from a wearable monitoring device, theglucose information being indicative of a blood glucose level of theuser, wherein the removable controller device displays a suggestedglucagon dosage in response to user input to the user interface, thesuggested glucagon dosage being at least partially dependent upon aglucose sensitivity value stored by the controller device, a targetblood glucose level stored by the controller device, and the bloodglucose level of the user; and a glucagon injector pen device that isseparate from the pump device and the controller device, the glucagoninjector device being configured to dispense glucagon in an amount equalto the suggested glucagon dosage that is displayed by the controllerdevice.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller device isconfigured to activate a glucagon dosage calculator that calculates thesuggested glucagon dosage based at least in part on the glucosesensitivity value stored by the controller device, the target bloodglucose level stored by the controller device, and the blood glucoselevel of the user.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the glucagoninjector pen device is in wireless communication with the controllerdevice.
 4. A medicine administration system, comprising: a pump deviceincluding: a pump housing that defines a space to receive an insulincartridge; and a drive system to dispense insulin when the insulincartridge is received by the pump housing; a controller deviceincluding: control circuitry configured to communicate with the drivesystem in the pump housing; and a wireless communication device toreceive glucose information from a wearable monitoring device, theglucose information being indicative of a blood glucose level of theuser, a user interface in communication with the control circuitry ofthe controller device, the user interface including a display and one ormore user input components; wherein the user interface displays asuggested glucagon dosage, the suggested glucagon dosage being at leastpartially dependent upon a glucose sensitivity value stored by thecontroller device, a target blood glucose level stored by the controllerdevice, and the blood glucose level of the user; and a glucagon injectorpen device including: a housing that is physically separate from thepump housing; wherein the glucagon injector device is configured todispense glucagon in an amount equal to the suggested glucagon dosagethat is displayed by the user interface.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein the display contemporaneously displays the suggested glucagondosage value, a blood glucose level of the user, and an indication thatthe rate of change in the blood glucose level is increasing ordecreasing.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the glucagon injector pendevice is in wireless communication with the controller device.
 7. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein the controller device further comprises acontroller housing that houses the control circuitry and the userinterface.
 8. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface displaysthe suggested glucagon dosage in response to user input to the userinterface.
 9. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface displaysthe suggested glucagon dosage in response to the blood glucose level ofthe user being below a threshold value.
 10. The system of claim 4,wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine that the bloodglucose level of the user is below a threshold value and communicatewith the user interface to cause the user interface to display thesuggested glucagon dosage in response to the control circuitrydetermining that the blood glucose level of the user is below thethreshold value.
 11. A medicine administration system, comprising: apump device including: a pump housing that defines a space to receive aninsulin cartridge; and a drive system to dispense insulin when theinsulin cartridge is received by the pump housing; a controller deviceincluding: control circuitry configured to communicate with the drivesystem in the pump housing; and a wireless communication device toreceive glucose information from a wearable monitoring device, theglucose information being indicative of a blood glucose level of theuser, a user interface in communication with the control circuitry ofthe controller device, the user interface including a display and one ormore user input components; wherein the user interface displays asuggested glucagon dosage; and a glucagon injector pen device that isseparate from the pump device and the controller device, the glucagoninjector pen device being configured to dispense glucagon in an amountequal to the suggested glucagon dosage that is displayed by the userinterface.